The Unknown Guest
The Unknown Guest is a 1943 American mystery film from King Brothers Productions directed by Kurt Neumann and starring Victor Jory, Pamela Blake and Veda Ann Borg. It was written by Philip Yordan.
| The Unknown Guest | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Kurt Neumann |
| Produced by | Charles King Maurice King |
| Written by | Philip Yordan |
| Starring | Victor Jory Pamela Blake Veda Ann Borg |
| Music by | Dimitri Tiomkin |
| Cinematography | Jackson Rose |
| Edited by | Martin G. Cohn |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Monogram Pictures |
Release date | October 22, 1943 |
Running time | 61 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Cast
- Victor Jory as Charles 'Chuck' Williams
- Pamela Blake as Julie
- Veda Ann Borg as Helen Walker
- Harry Hayden as George Nadroy
- Paul Fix as Fain
- Emory Parnell as Sheriff Dave Larsen
- Ray Walker as Swarthy
- Lee 'Lasses' White as Joe Williams
- Nora Cecil as Martha Williams
- Eddie Mills as Sidney
Production
Philip Yordan had written a script for the King Brothers, Dillinger which was too expensive to produce. They suggested he write something less expensive.[1] Yordan took a course in budgeting from production manager George Moskov. Yordan later recalled:
Moskov’s advice was to avoid a gangster film. Action and gunfire was costly. He suggested a suspense melodrama with one set. I dreamed up an imitation Hitchcock idea, all taking place in a roadhouse closed for the winter. Frank King liked the script, especially the low cost with very few extras. He couldn’t pay more than the minimum and had to cajole and flatter the actors to get them. The brothers managed to get Victor Jory and Pamela Drake for almost nothing.[2]
Reception
The film was the first movie from Monogram to screen at Grauman's Chinese Theatre.[1]